What It Practically Means to Guard Your Heart
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“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23).
When I was growing up, there used to be a slogan “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Today I want to piggyback off that and say, “A heart is a terrible thing to leave exposed.”
Often in Scripture, the heart and the mind can be used interchangeably as they influence each other. When you think about what Proverbs 4:23 means, it reminds us of the importance of watching your heart, because it will influence everything that happens in your life. Let’s look closer at this verse.
What Does Proverbs 4:23 Mean?
When talking about the heart, it makes sense to understand what the Bible means by the heart. This verse has nothing to do with exercising or eating right, which we know is good for your physical heart. The heart here refers to your mind, your will, or your inner man.
Your heart or mind is the control center of your life. Every decision you make in life results from a choice you make in your mind. In the book of James, we are told this.
“But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:14-15).
Here, James is talking about the progression that leads to sin, but this is the similar progression that leads to every choice you make. It begins with a thought or desire in your heart or mind and then grows from there. Sometimes, the process occurs over an extended period and in others, it can happen quickly. Regardless, your mind is at the center of controlling your decisions.
What does Proverbs 4:23 mean? One thing it means is to watch out because whatever you are thinking about the most, you are most likely going to do.
What Is the Context of This Verse?
King Solomon wrote most of the book of Proverbs. In these opening chapters (referring to chapters 1-9) you will see a frequent use of the phrase “my son.” Using this language does not clarify who Solomon is speaking to directly. It is not clear if he is speaking to his own son, or to a group of young men, because there are no names mentioned to define his audience.
Regardless of who he is speaking to, the wisdom he is giving is akin to a father talking to his son. In fact, I would recommend every person, young or old, to read the Proverbs and put into practice the wisdom that is found there.
Why Is It So Important for Us to Guard Our Hearts?
Since the heart plays such an important role in every decision you make, that is the primary reason it is so important for you to guard your heart. Guarding your heart is not much different from what we do in other parts of our lives. For example, we know if you eat terrible food, then your body will not operate at its best. If you spend more money than you make, you will end up in debt. Guarding your heart is simply an issue of cause and effect. The effects are your actions that flow from your heart. The cause is the things you allow into your heart. If you want to change the effects, you must first change the causes.
What Does It Practically Look Like to Guard Our Hearts?
As much as guarding your heart is a spiritual exercise, it is much more practical than you realize. Here are two things you can start doing today to guard your heart.
1. Guard What You Listen To
Listening can come in various forms. This can apply to anything you watch, read, or listen to. It can be what you see on television, what you listen to on the radio, or what you fill your mind with in print. Everything you are listening to is planting a seed in your heart and mind. If the right seed connects and resonates with your desire, then you will take actions based on what you listened to. Many times, this can begin happening without you even being aware it is happening. Let me give you an example to help you understand what I mean.
One area that has an inordinate amount of influence in people’s lives is the media. Media is so vital an influence that you can tell what forms of media people listen to based on some things they say. There is nothing wrong with watching or viewing media (as long as you don’t go overboard with it.) So how do you guard your heart against the media? One way is to recognize that most of the media you consume only cares about one thing: ratings. This means you should validate everything you hear to ensure you are not falling victim to outlets that will say what you want to hear just to keep you watching. When people fail to do this, their behaviors can change based on what they are hearing.
As believers, one way we can guard our hearts against what we listen to is by filtering everything through God’s word. One challenge we are experiencing in the body of Christ today is the word of God is not the primary influence for many Christians. You might say Clarence, how do you say this? The answer is simple. Just look at the actions people who profess to be Christians are taking. You will see their influence cannot be God’s word because their actions don’t align with it.
The next time you go to “listen” – in whatever format you are choosing – ask yourself what effect will this have on my heart? When you don’t do this, you open yourself to be influenced in a way you may not want to be.
2. Guard Your Relationships
The second practical area where you can guard your heart is in relationships. Here is what Corinthians tells us.
“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Corinthians 15:33).
We often confuse bad company as referring to people who are not Christians. I hate to inform you, but sometimes bad company is other Christians. If someone professes to follow Jesus, but they are not committed to following His word and walking in obedience to Him, they will not be a good influence on you. Instead of spurring you on to godliness, they may try to pull you in the other direction. You don’t need these types of people in your life, and you must guard against these types of relationships.
As you know, people who are close to you have the potential to influence your life greatly, so make sure you choose wisely. Friends influence thoughts and, as we have established, thoughts influence actions.
Here is the last thing I want to say to answer the question: what does Proverbs 4:23 mean? It means be careful. Take seriously the influences you allow to penetrate your heart. Everything you do in your life is at stake, so guard your heart like your life depends on it, because it does.
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